Gallia County Farmhouse, looking
out toward the creek and the road. I was amazed at what I saw.
The road and bridge were gone. Now instead of a creek, was a
river the size of the Ohio River. Looking more closely, I could
see some figures out on the water. Three deer were walking
through the water in my direction. The water must have only been
a few centimeters deep.

But I was disturbed when I noticed a man carrying a
gun
following the deer. I also had a shotgun. With it I walked down
to the bank of the river. I clearly saw the deer, one of which
was a buck with large antlers, come on to the shore. They were
followed by the man with the gun. I hollered to him and told him
he was trespassing. He turned toward me. We were only about three meters apart and both of us had our guns pointed toward each other.
I had the shotgun, and he had a hand gun.

I began to realize the seriousness of the situation. If he
shot me, I was sure I would still be able to shoot him. But what
good would that do me? I might be killed. I was also sure that if
I shot him first, he would still be able to shoot me. So I couldn't risk that.

I began slowly backing up, anxious to get away from the man
as quickly as I could. I thought if I left, he would also leave.

***

I was standing again on the front porch. Now I didn't see a
river but the creek only in a different channel. I walked down
the front steps and found the creek right at the bottom of the
steps, hidden in a dense foliage. A path went right into the
creek, and I figured it had been made by the dogs.

I went back and stood on the front porch. Suddenly I saw a
truck coming down the road, heading in the direction where the
bridge used to be. A woman was driving and a man was on the
passenger side. I hollered at them to stop, that the bridge was
gone. But they didn't pay any attention. I was horrified as I
watched the truck crash over the hill in front of me, stopping
just short of the creek. I raced down the hill and reached the
passenger side. It looked as if the woman was unhurt, but the man
seemed to be seriously injured. The woman and I began trying to
pull him out of the truck.